How to make flashcards from a CSV file

Prepare a question-and-answer CSV, import it into a Flashtex deck, and check common formatting problems.

To make flashcards from a CSV file in Flashtex, put one card on each row with question and answer columns. Save the file as UTF-8 CSV, then import it into a deck. This is useful when your questions already live in a spreadsheet.

Prepare the CSV file

Create a table in a spreadsheet app with question and answer as the first row. Each row after that becomes a card. You can also add reference and tags columns. Here is a small file you can copy into a text editor and save as biology.csv:

question,answer,reference,tags
What does DNA stand for?,Deoxyribonucleic acid,Chapter 2,biology
Where is most cellular DNA stored?,In the nucleus,Chapter 2,biology

The header names matter. Flashtex needs a question column and an answer column; reference and tags are optional. If you use a spreadsheet, export it as a CSV file with UTF-8 encoding and a comma delimiter. Keep one question and its answer on the same row. If a cell contains a comma, let the spreadsheet’s CSV export quote that cell rather than separating it into another column.

Import the cards into Flashtex

  1. Create a deck, or open the deck that should receive the cards.
  2. Open the deck’s Edit menu in the top right and choose Import + Export.
  3. Find CSV and choose Import.
  4. Select your .csv file in the file picker.

Flashtex reports how many new cards it imported. Open the deck and check a few questions and answers before importing a larger file. The CSV import adds cards to the deck you opened; it does not create a deck from the filename.

If the import fails or looks wrong

Check the header row first. Use question,answer at minimum, with no extra title row above it. Then check that the file is UTF-8 CSV. Flashtex’s in-app How to create a CSV file help is available in the CSV section of Import + Export.

CSV carries text fields, not images or sketches. If you need pictures or drawings on a card, add them in the card editor after import. For formatting text in questions and answers, see the Markdown and LaTeX guide.

An existing card with the same question may be updated instead of counted as a new card, so review the deck if the import count is lower than the number of rows. The free version also limits how many cards you can create; importing beyond that limit requires Flashtex Unlimited.